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Dr. Andrew Wakefield, who published a study in 1998 about the possible link between autism and vaccines which was subsequently questioned and discredited by the medical community, has defended his work in an interview on CNN.
Dr. Wakefield’s work has been discredited over the past several years, and ten of the eleven doctors who were involved in the study have removed their names from it. The Sunday Times reports that Dr. Wakefield “changed and misreported results” in his research, according to “confidential” medical documents and interviews with witnesses.
Dr. Wakefield’s study was published in February 1998 in The Lancet medical journal, causing widespread concern among parents that the MMR vaccine—for measles, mumps, and rubella—was linked to autism. According to The Sunday Times, the impact of the article was “extraordinary,” with vaccination rates decreasing from 92% to less than 80%, while “herd immunity” from measles occurs when 95% of the population has been vaccinated.
After a British journalist, Brian Deer, published the results of his investigation calling Wakefield’s study an “elaborate fraud,” Wakefield denied these allegations as false in an interview on CNN with Anderson Cooper. Wakefield continues to stand by his findings, saying that the results have been replicated in studies in five other countries and that Deer has received financial support from a pharmaceutical company. Check out the link below to see the interview yourself.
CNN Video Clip
Tina Turbin
Resources:
CNN: Autism-Vaccine Study Author Defends Work http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/health/2011/01/05/ac.autism.wakefield.intv.cnn
MSNBC: Doctor defends research tying vaccine to racism http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40930256/ns/health-mental_health/
Sarros, Connie. FREE Gluten-free Newsletterette. (Feb. 2011.) www.gfbooks.homestead.com
The Sunday Times: MMR doctor Andrew Wakefield fixed data on autism http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article5683671.ece
From our home to yours, Tina Turbin
If you have any questions or suggestions just email me at info (at) GlutenFreeHelp.info.
Wow. I just don’t know what to say about this. I’m not much for conspiracy theories, but it does make sense that pharmaceutical companies that produce vaccines would work to discredit findings showing that their merchandise is unsafe. Even though Dr. Wakefield’s work has been discredited, I just feel intuitively somehow that he was right. Maybe the 10 out of 11 doctors who conducted this research have received benefits or been threatened in order to induce them to take their names off the study. All I know is that I’m not giving my children vaccines, but every parent needs to make the choice themselves.
Wow I saw that CNN interview and I was like, “What’s this?” Is it just me, or was Andrew Wakefield totally cut off several times by Anderson Cooper? Once again it seemed like a journalist had already decided what the story was even before he reported it. How sleazy can you be? Well, in view of that, I really respect Andrew for coming out and telling his story. I just think next time he should do it in person, not over Skype, and NOT with Cooper.
I appreciate you posting this. I’m going to go ahead and read Wakefield’s book because, intuitively, his conclusions seem valid. I am really hoping I don’t see any holes in the research, but I’m going to be impartial. I ended up immunizing all three of my kids (all three now teenagers), but if I had to do it again, I just wouldn’t just because I’ve heard there’s mercury added to the vaccines. I don’t care whether that would lead to autism or not, but you know mercury can’t be good for kids’ health!
I’ve heard a lot about this issue but don’t know so much about the facts. In the end, since I’m not a scientist myself, I’m at the mercy of other researchers and I just cross my fingers that they’re being ethical. You really just don’t know, though, unless you’re acquainted with a researcher and his or her ethics and credentials. All I know is that I’m much more likely to trust a doctor than a journalist ha ha;)
Well, Jenny McCarthy and other people still stand by Andrew Wakefield, which is interesting. I have a neighbor whose daughter is autistic and she swears that it has everything to do with a vaccination she got…She said the very next day her daughter fell ill and was never the same again. Ah! I know anecdotal evidence isn’t the most accurate but you can’t help, but be swayed by it!
I feel so out of the loop here but I have only just heard of this link between autism and vaccines last year. I have been getting into natural medicine and alternative therapies over the past year since I went to a chiropractor who helped me discover that my headaches were coming from a sensitivity to gluten. It really made me think, “Geez, the medical community really doesn’t know that much.” Vaccines could be another area that doctors think they know all about, but it could turn out that they’re extremely ignorant. Who knows. I just wish some more researchers would look into this!
Thanks so much for this. I like that this is unbiased. I read Jenny McCarthy’s book last year and it really affected me. I just don’t think it’s worth the risk for autism because autism is more prevalent now than rare childhood diseases. I figure, it’s not like we live in India where there’s a huge risk for childhood disease.
Hi Tina thanks so much for keeping us up to date on these things. I am pregnant now– no children yet– and I’m getting ready to make this big decision myself. I was vaccinated and I am very healthy and the same thing with every one in my family including my sisters and their kids. Thanks for all your recipes too. I’ve been able to eat really healthfully and happily while expecting:)
Hi, Tina! @Holly I totally, totally agree with you! I was wondering if other people would notice that to. I would think the general public would see how inappropriate Anderson Cooper was being, but at first he really seemed to be fair-minded. I was really disappointed in him.
OMG I watched this video link and I was appalled by the interview! Did anyone else notice how unfair of an interview it was? It was as if Anderson Cooper had already made up his mind about Wakefield before the interview. You have to commend Andrew Wakefield for holding his own as best as he could up against this guy!